Harris Garrard Academy (formerly Business Academy Bexley) is a 4–18
mixed,
all-through school
All-through schools educate young people throughout multiple stages of their education, generally throughout childhood and adolescence.
Definition
The term "all-through" can be legitimately applied to establishments in many different circumstan ...
and
sixth form
In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A- ...
with
academy status in
Thamesmead
Thamesmead is an area of south-east London, England, straddling the border between the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Bexley. It is located east of Charing Cross, north-east of Woolwich and west of Erith. It mainly consi ...
,
Erith,
Greater London, England. It was established in 2002 and is part of the
Harris Federation
Harris Federation is a multi-academy trust of 52 primary and secondary academies in and around London. They are sponsored by Philip Harris (Lord Harris of Peckham).
Description
With 52 academies in London and Essex, the Harris Federation educates ...
.
History
Business Academy Bexley was established in 2002 as a
city academy, a
secondary school under the sponsorship of 3E's Enterprises (later acquired by
GEMS Education),
and property developer
David Garrard
David Douglas Garrard (born February 14, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons, primarily with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at East Carolina and w ...
, chairman of the Minerva group, who donated £2.5 million.
The school relocated to dedicated premises in September 2003 and the primary school section opened in 2004. As of 2007 the total enrollment was 1,477.
The school was constructed on a site at a cost of £31m. Architect
Norman Foster designed the building, which was nominated for the 2004
Stirling Prize, and some parts have been compared to "a smart City office".
However the Academy didn't make the progress expected
and by 2007 was languishing at the bottom of the School League tables for Bexley. In 2008 GCSE results and value added placed it ahead of a number of other non-selective schools in Bexley.
In 2010 the school had a deficit of £500,000, largely for repairs to the "incredibly expensive to run" seven-year-old building, but also to attract staff. The school had had a high turnover of headteachers and pupil enrolment had fallen to about 1,100 exacerbating the deficit.
On 25 September 2011 The Business Academy Bexley was featured on
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service in ...
's programme 'Derren Brown: How to be a Psychic Spy'.
The school was placed into
special measures
Special measures is a status applied by regulators of public services in Britain to providers who fall short of acceptable standards.
In education (England and Wales)
Ofsted, the schools inspection agency for England and some British Overseas Te ...
during an
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament. Ofsted is responsible for inspecting a range of educational institutions, includ ...
inspection on 11 and 12 May 2016.
Due to the schools poor Ofsted inspection, the
Harris Federation
Harris Federation is a multi-academy trust of 52 primary and secondary academies in and around London. They are sponsored by Philip Harris (Lord Harris of Peckham).
Description
With 52 academies in London and Essex, the Harris Federation educates ...
took over the school and renamed it the Harris Garrard Academy from January 2017.
After joining the Federation the primary school section was granted a
Literacy specialism.
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Garrard
Primary schools in the London Borough of Bexley
Secondary schools in the London Borough of Bexley
Academies in the London Borough of Bexley
School buildings completed in 2003
Educational institutions established in 2002
2002 establishments in England
Specialist humanities colleges in England